Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-02
A TALK WITH AN EMBALMER
ANisit to the Medical Department of
the New York University.

TOOK me up the winding iron stairway of
the medical department of the New York
University the other day, to the dissect-
ing room, but the assurance of student
friend that l would probably hear Il story
there that would be worth the telling. /
shall not, therefore, shock the reader
with any pen pictures of what saw in
that room, although | ay say in passing
that, by the skiliful embalming OF the
subjects and the perfect sanitation
secured in this institution, the study
ana practical demonstration OF the won
dertul and beautiful science of anatomy
is robbed of many OF the revolving fea-
lures that formerly attended it.
The presiding genius or the place is DR..
r. ID. Weisse. thah whom, l presume,
there is not in this country more learned
and skiilful anatomist, or one who makes
his lectures and demonstrations more alb
Sorblngly interesting. Once warmed up
in his subiect-and be always warns up
when he lectures 10 a class--he becomes
delightfully."- eloquent, and when he takes
the knife in hand to show upon the subject
what he has described in language and
illustrated by charts, The organs be would
display appear as by magic beneath his
skillful manipulation. 1t is an intellect
ual treat, even for one unfamiliar with
the science, to listen to one OF DR.. Weisse's
lectures.
His chief lieutenant and executive
officer is Jimmy" w alsh, q middle-aged
man of medium stature, pleasing face,
agreeable address and quick intelligence.
His duty is TO obtain the subjects for dis
section from the public institutions, en-
balm and prepare them for the use OF the
students, keep the dissecting room in
proper sanitary condition and attend upon
WnilGn oft his IoptIroa
sLratiOns. Although not professionally
educated, "Jimmy's" thirteen years eX-
perience in the departments of anatomy
of the New York University and Bellevue
Hospital Medical Colleges has given him
familiarity with the structure OF the
human body possessed by very few spec
ialists even. The students go to him
freely for assistance and instruction in
their dIssecting, and he always gives it In
a cheerful, modest way.
Didn't DIR. Frank Hamilton come up
here frequently during the last sickness
OF President GarfieldP' | asked OF "Jim-
N.Y." desiring to draw him into conversa-
ton upon that interesting subject.
Eyes, he came here every time he re-
turned from visit to Washington. Gum
shot wounds were his specially, you
know, and he made many experiments
here to determine the penetrative pow er
of bullet shot from pistol such as was
used by Guiteau, and to learn, il possible,
the course the ball would take"
chow were those eXperlm ents made ~
81 got body for him, that of man
weighing about 225 pounds, and we hung
it up on that hook" pointing TO q bracket
OF iron extending about three feet from the
wali,nea the ceiling. "Then we stood of
about nine feet and fired the pistol at tn g
body. IL the balls did not strike q bone
they went through the body, as though il
offered almost no resistance; if they did.
they glanced and it was impossible to tell
where they would 90. Here are some OF
the marks of Them" pointing to holes in
the wall that had been filed up with plas-
ter, and TO an anatomical chart, the glass
over which was broken.
"Did DR.. Hamilton succeed in locating
the bullet in Gen. Garteld's body by these
experimentsW
''He thought he did. After his last
visit to Washington he came un here,
and, taking bullet, he turned back the
flap where the abdomen OF the subject
had been opened. placed it in position,
and putting the flap back in its place,
said to DR.. Wesse that he knew insl
where that ball was, for be felt it when
he put his finger on Gen. Garfield's body
Just as plainly as nc then felt 1T in the
subject before him. The point he indi.
Gated was about two inches to the left oil
the medal line OF the body, in front and
about two inches above Poupart's liga.
ment."
You were present at the autopsy, were
you notT'
81 was"
"W hat took placer
"WDen the BODY was ready for the pos,
norton DIR. Hamilton placed his finger Oh
the spot l have already mentioned and
told Or. Lamb, OF the Army Medical Mu
scum at Washington, VINO performed the
operation, TO make his opening there. Dr.
Lamb did so, and put his hand in, but
could feel nothing OF the ball Then DR.
Hamilton, VINO seemed much surprised
that it was not found and somewhat ex
cited, told me to see what | could
Then the doctors directed that
the body be opened at the abdomen,
and when this was done the vlscera,
stomach and lungs were removed and
placed IN a vessel, but no trace OF the bul
let was found. There was a good deal OF
contAN owing 10 orders being given by
scXSyUf the doctors. DR.. Lamb stood
0<s8y1eft side OF the body and | upon the
49, side assisting him. DR.. Agnow
I'D over me, DR.. Bliss at tue head, and
The others were scattered about the room.
cause OF the presence Of pyemic abscesses
and the danger Of blood poisoning. DR..
Andrew A. smith, OF Ei5eron, was exam
ming the organ in the bowl, and he toand
the ball between the spleen and .be Rid.
ney."
Wasn't that some distance from any
point at which it had previously been To-
cRted?"
Eyes, nobody was looking for 1t there.
The fractured piece OF the spine was re.
moved and il now in the Army Medical
Museum at Washington. | pat the body
in order again, substituting a piece 81
brOomstick for the missing section Of the
spine"
Didn't you embalm tho body?"
"Ies, and although ! presented the
very modest bill OF 500, was never even
paid for my expenses. | wrote letter
about it and received reply from Gen.
Swain saying that the government aid
the expenses attending President Gar
fields death and funeral, aud that his
family had nothing 10 do with II. never
got anything from the government"
n. l.. WHITE.
A new operate star, Fraulein Anna
Kirbel, is creating a greaL.,aen sation In
Norway. Ole Buila<11 RsSSan der,
upnS other - : -!